Squirrel houses are a relic of domesticated pets’ past

Squirrels were popular pets in past centuries. They were kept in special cages that included a running wheel or other type of exercise machine.

Many of the cages were shaped like a house or other type of building. And all had an entrance door, removable tray at the bottom to aid in cleaning the cage and a feeding dish. Some even had material formed into a nest in one corner. They were made of tin and wood.

Some paintings of children from the 18th and 19th centuries picture pets that include a squirrel peering through the bars of the cage. Prices for antique and vintage cages range from $200 up to $1,500. Few are bought to house a wild squirrel today. They are displayed as folk art and historic relics.

Q: I got a Mickey Mouse watch for my sixth birthday in 1949. The dial is rectangular and it has a leatherette strap. “Ingersoll” is on the face and “US Time” is stamped on the back. Mickey’s hands and shoes are yellow and the numbers are red. The watch doesn’t work. Would it be wise to have it fixed, or would that lower the value?

A: In 1882, two brothers from Michigan started the Ingersoll Watch Co. in New York City. The company made quality watches for about $1 to $1.50, a day’s wages at the time. Ingersoll declared bankruptcy in 1921 and was bought by the Waterbury Clock Co. which became the Ingersoll-Waterbury Co. In 1933 Ingersoll, in a deal with the Walt Disney Co., made the first watch with Mickey Mouse on the face and three mice chasing each other on a seconds dial. By 1935 more than 2.5 million Mickey Mouse watches had been sold. Production of the watches stopped from 1942 to ‘45 because of World War II. Ingersoll-Waterbury reorganized in 1944 as part of U.S. Time Corp. (later became Timex), but the company continued to make watches under the Ingersoll brand. Mickey Mouse watches were made again in 1946 with a new rectangular case and a more modern image of Mickey. The name “Ingersoll” appeared on the face next to Mickey until 1946, and U.S. Time was stamped on the back, just like your watch. A watch is always worth more if it’s running than if it isn’t. Mickey Mouse watches like yours sell from $30 for not working all the way to $375 for mint condition with the original box.

Q: I have three bentwood chairs made by Fischel that were commissioned in Czechoslovakia for the first big hotel in New York City. The seats have carved inlay. What’s the value of a Fischel chair?

A: Bentwood furniture was invented by Michael Thonet, who was granted patents for his invention in England, France and Belgium in 1841. When the patents expired in 1871, David Gabriel Fischel founded D.G. Fischel Sons in Niemes, Czechoslovakia, and began making bentwood furniture. Fischel’s son, Alexander, had worked at Thonet Bros. By 1913, the company also was working in Vienna. The company still was working in the 1920s. Plain chairs sell for about $50-$70, armchairs for twice as much.

Q: I have several boxes of Eastman lantern slides from the studio of Asahel Curtis in Seattle that were passed down to me by my grandfather. They depict scenes of early Alaska and a hunting party that included my grandfather. My late aunt told me the old man in the pictures with my grandfather was President Harding. I also have a glass lantern slide projector with the original light bulb still working. What is the value of these items?

A: Asahel Curtis (1874-1941) started working as a photographer in his brother’s studio in Seattle in 1895. Asahel went to Alaska between 1897 and 1899 and took pictures during the Klondike Gold Rush. He had a falling out with his brother and opened his own studio in Seattle in 1911. President Warren Harding made a trip to Alaska in July 1923 to drive in the golden spike marking the end of the Alaska Railroad. Harding died on Aug. 2 on his way home. We haven’t found any record that he was part of a hunting party while in Alaska. A box of 109 Asahel Curtis glass lantern slides that included scenes in Alaska and Seattle sold recently for $1,547. If the pictures of President Harding on the hunting trip can be authenticated, they could be worth more. The projector is worth $250 to $300 and should stay with the slides. The slides from Alaska could sell for about $15 to $20 each.

Q: I have some ivory jewelry that I got in the 1970s. My daughter told me I can’t sell it because of the laws prohibiting the sale of elephant ivory. What should I do?

A: International ivory trade was banned in 1989 by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, an agreement by several member nations. According to the U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service, it is not illegal to own or sell ivory imported before Jan. 18, 1990. The date can be established by a bill of sale or other document or even a datable photo picturing the owner with the item. More stringent rules apply in some states. You may have to prove the ivory was harvested before 1973.

Tip: The water for your dishwasher should be set at over 120 degrees to help prevent the spread of disease, but it should be under 140 degrees to avoid unnecessary stress and damage on old dishes.

Write to Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel at Kovels, The Herald, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.

Current prices

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Wood carving, heart in hand, square base, balsa wood, patina, 1900s, 12 inches, $65.

Advertising poster, Greenfield’s Chocolates, woman with hat boxes, paper, 1911, 23 x 13 inches, $120.

Lalique perfume bottle, stars, Dans la Nuit by Worth, spherical, royal blue, frosted, three-part mold, moon and stars stopper, 4 x 3 inches, $140.

Vending machine, condom dispenser, coin-operated, blue, white and red paint, metal, 1960s, 30 inches, $150.

Doll, Hertel and Schwab, No. 142, bisque head, sleep eyes, painted hair, composition, velvet romper, early 190s, 16 inches, $180.

Omega wristwatch, Constellation, stainless steel case, yellow tone accents, woman’s, 6 inches, $300.

Sampler, verse, flower border, angels, birds, silk on wool, signed Sarah Potter, 1784, 20 x 15 inches, $440.

Sterling sugar and creamer, George III, gadroon border, reeded handles, ball feet, gilt wash, 1805, 4 x 81/4 inches, 480.

Custard glass, lamp shade, cone shape, embossed flowers, rosette, 1930s, 151/4 inches, $675.

Console, wrought iron, composition top, scroll front panel, square legs, X-stretcher, c. 1950, 63 x 36 x 16 inches, $1,035.